The prima donna is down the hall, right? Probably steaming up her latest batch of gripes and schemes for making the dental office a better place to work. At least, in her mind.Are dental hygienists really the unhappiest member of the dental team?An RDH eVillage survey in January 2011 polled 339 dental hygienists and 71 other team dental members (43 dentists, 30 dental assistants, and eight front office staff members). The results indicate that dental hygienists have similar “comfort” level as their team members.The survey’s 16 questions asked “how comfortable” dental team members were with various aspects of being a dental professional.The survey will be used for other comparisons. If you did not participate in the survey and would like to do so, please click here.The survey asked “how comfortable are you” with a variety of subjects, including:Colleagues’ competency level.42% of dental hygienists are very comfortable with the competency of their colleagues; only six percent are very uncomfortable. In comparison, 33% of other team members were very comfortable (51% of doctors), and six percent are very uncomfortable about the competence of other team members.Decision for a dental career.36% of dental hygienists are very comfortable with their career choice (compared to 38% of doctors), and 12% are very uncomfortable with their career choice. Overall, 33% of other team members are very comfortable with their career decision, and 1% are very uncomfortable.Fairness of fees. 38% of dental hygienists are very comfortable with the fees charged to patients, and four percent are uncomfortable. 41% of other team members are very comfortable with the fees charged, and six percent are very uncomfortable.Treatment plan acceptance. 24% of dental hygienists are very comfortable with the percentage of treatment plan acceptance among patients, and four percent are very uncomfortable. In contrast, 20% of other dental team members are very comfortable about treatment plan acceptance, and four percent are very uncomfortable.Community oral health.14% of dental hygienists are very comfortable with the overall oral health in their communities, and 10% are very comfortable. 13% of other team members are very comfortable, and 10% are very uncomfortable.Underserved populations. Eight percent of dental hygienists and other dental team members are very comfortable with the options that underserved members have in the community for dental care. Dental hygienists are slightly more “very uncomfortable,” 26% to 20%.Dental equipment.43% of dental hygienists are very comfortable with the quality of dental equipment being able to deliver optimal treatment; 47% of other team members also felt very comfortable with the equipment at their disposal.Dental office floor plan/decor.38% of all dental team members are very comfortable with floor plan of the dental office where they work; seven percent of dental hygienists are very uncomfortable, compared to five percent for the rest of the team. In addition, 39% of dental hygienists are very comfortable with the décor of the office; 42% of other dental team members are likewise very comfortable with the décor.While the level of comfort was similar in the above categories, dental hygienists indicated a higher level of discomfort on fiscal matters.Income providing a desired lifestyle vs. local cost of living expenses.14% of dental hygienists feel very comfortable with earning enough income compared to 21% of team members (27% for doctors). Ten percent of hygienists were “very uncomfortable” compared to 8% of their colleagues.Timetable for retirement.7% of dental hygienists are “very comfortable” and 26% are very uncomfortable. In salary surveys, dental hygienists often point out infrequent raises as a focal point of being unhappy with their position. However, only 8% of other teams members are very comfortable with their timetable for retirement, and 18% were very uncomfortable.The economic rebound. Only three percent of dental hygienists are very comfortable with the way the economy is rebounding in their area; 29% are very uncomfortable. In comparison, seven percent of other team members are very comfortable, 16% are very uncomfortable (only 13% of dentists were very uncomfortable about the economy rebounding).In conclusion, the survey inquired about social media (Facebook, for example) and the level of engaging with patients on the Internet. Only 9% of dental hygienists are very comfortable with communicating with patients on social networks, compared to 19% of other team members (22% of doctors are very comfortable with it).
